VNU and IMS Are Likely
To Cancel Acquisition Pact

By

Dennis K. Berman and

Jason Singer Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Updated Nov. 17, 2005 12:01 a.m. ET

Dutch publisher VNU NV and IMS Health Inc. are expected to terminate their $7 billion acquisition agreement, according to people familiar with the matter. VNU, meanwhile, also will announce the pending retirement of its chief executive officer, Rob van den Bergh.

The move is yet another tangible sign that shareholders, especially hedge funds, are successfully asserting their power against managements of companies they own. Since the deal was announced in July, VNU holders reacted violently to the plan that would marry IMS,...